The Red Way, which was launched in 2021, is Liverpool Football Club’s award-winning sustainability strategy, and its third annual season report marks an important milestone in LFC’s ongoing journey to becoming a more sustainable organisation.
The 2023-24 season saw The Red Way recognised with nine major sustainability awards in a 12-month period, including Front Office Sports’ Most Sustainable in Sport award and the Sports Industry Awards accolade for Environmental Sustainability. These reflect the demonstrable progress being made across all areas of the club, from operations to retail and travel.
Environmental sustainability remains a central focus under the ‘planet’ pillar, with 96 per cent of all energy used at club sites coming from renewable or low-carbon sources. During the 2023-24 season the club offset 100 per cent of its football operations emissions, reduced its overall carbon emissions by 12.5 per cent compared to the previous season (2022-23) and achieved a 15 per cent reduction on its 2019-20 baseline.
Significant steps were also taken to reduce emissions from travel, including eliminating 100 per cent of carbon emissions from domestic team flights through investment in Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
Biodiversity efforts have flourished under the club’s award-winning grounds team, with more than 1,000 trees and hedges planted. Further initiatives include the installation of honeybee colonies and solitary bee habitats; the club now has 60,000 bees across all its sites. This helps to support local pollinators, attract new wildlife and plant species, and the continued success of the club’s allotment, which produced half a tonne of food used within its busy kitchens.
The legendary Anfield pitch is now fully recyclable and has already been put to good use making benches for the club’s new orchard at the AXA Training Centre.
Liverpool FC also remains the first Premier League club to achieve ISO20121 (sustainability) and holds both ISO45001 (health and safety) and ISO50001 (energy) certifications – which reflects both its commitment and governance credentials in this space.
Under the ‘people’ pillar, LFC continues to champion equality, diversity and inclusion through its Red Together initiative. The club’s work in its local and global communities continues to expand through the club’s official charity, LFC Foundation.
Last season, the Foundation supported more than 127,000 people and delivered an impressive social return of £13.70 for every £1 spent. More than 60 per cent of participants came from the most-deprived areas of the country, demonstrating the Foundation’s commitment to making a real difference where it matters most.
Rishi Jain, director of impact at Liverpool FC, said: “The Red Way is more than a strategy – it’s a key priority for the club and is embedded into every aspect of the business. This is our third annual report and it’s incredible to see the progress that has been made and that we continue to make, thanks to the support from our fans, staff, partners and communities, who help us achieve our ambition to be a truly sustainable football club.
“We have set ambitious targets, including achieving net zero by 2040, and we understand that we are on a journey and there is still much more to do. This report is a celebration of how far we’ve come and confirms our commitment to go even further.”
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